Manifold More

"Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord.... Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth forever.... His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord" (Psalm 112:1,3,7). "And He said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come, life everlasting" (Luke 18:29,30).

Manifold more in this present time
Than all of this world and all it has stored:
This is the offer, secure and sublime,
To all who will follow Christ Jesus the Lord.

Manifold more, by heaven's true measure,
Than temporal family, fair-weather friends,
Houses or riches, or any such treasure,
Is given to each who on Jesus depends.

The Right Ruler

"If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.... Many seek the ruler's favor, but every man's judgment cometh from the Lord" (Proverbs 29:26).

Sometimes rulers do what's right.
Sometimes they will do what's wrong.
If I'm walking in the light,
God is ruling all day long.

Who is ruler of my heart?
Is it God and God alone?
Let me know, Lord, from the start,
Who is really on the throne!

Then help me, Lord, to seek Your favor,
And make this my priority:
Obedience to Christ my Savior,
Loving Him who first loved me.

Parables on Prayer

"And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.... And He spake a parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican" (Luke 18:1,910).

Men ought always to be praying,
Or they will surely faint.
This is what our Lord is saying,
To every feeble saint.

Men should never pray with pride,
As did the Pharisee,
But like that publican who cried:
Be merciful to me!

May these parables sink in,
To show us how to pray.
May they cleanse our hearts from sin,
And teach us everyday.

Forever Fixed

"O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory" (Psalm 108:1). "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.... And beside all this, between us... there is a great gulf fixed" (Luke 12:17,26).

Oh God, You know my heart is fixed,
Just until I am distracted.
How different is Your love unmixed,
Unaltered by the way I've acted.

Mold me in Your faithfulness;
And fix my heart on what is true,
Satisfied with nothing less
Than what I find, O God, in You.

Like Your words which cannot fail,
And like the gulf that's fixed above,
Let Your Spirit thus prevail
To fix my heart upon Your love.

Prodigal Praise

"Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord" (Psalm 107:5,7, 43). "I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father... But when he was a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him" (Luke 15:17,18,20).

If you will observe and learn
The love that God displays,
You'll see why prodigals return
To give Him thanks and praise.

The prodigal left to himself
Always comes to thirst
And hungers with an empty shelf;
These things must happen first.

But when the prodigal comes back,
He meets a father's kiss.
Why did he wait so long with lack,
When he could have all this?

The best of robes we have put on:
His robe of righteousness.
The ring affirms the curse is gone,
And that He lives to bless.

He puts the shoes upon our feet
That make us fit to go,
To share the Gospel message sweet
That everyone may know.

So God rescues from distress
Each prodigal who cries.
And thus He longs to love and bless,
And make the foolish wise.

The Fitness to Finish

"Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established.... Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house" (Proverbs 24:3,27). "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish" (Luke 14:28,29).

Wisdom teaches us to build
Upon a good foundation,
Counts the cost that must be billed,
And plans for the duration.

Teach us, Lord, to build this way,
Clearing grounds make them fit,
Drawing strength from You each day,
To finish well, and never quit.

Explanation by Expectation

"Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut off" (Proverbs 23:17).

Why should I not envy sinners
Who have far more than they can spend?
Though the world accounts them winners,
They'll have nothing in the end.

Fear the Lord, then, all day long,
And focus on your expectation:
Christ is coming! What a song!
I need no further explanation!

Medication of Meditation

"My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord" (Psalm 104:34).

My meditation on the Lord
Shall be exceeding sweet,
His salvation my reward,
His joy in me complete.

My meditation on the Lord
Reveals my inward part.
By it is my soul restored;
It heals my broken heart.

Forfeiting Forgetting

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psalm 103:2-5).

Bless your Savior, O my soul,
For blessings that He heaps.
How good to know He's in control,
And every promise keeps!

Forget not how He yet forgives,
And heals your soul's disease.
Forget not your Redeemer lives
And from destruction frees.

Forget not all the love He brings
With mercies that abide,
Who satisfies you with good things,
And keeps you satisfied.

Finding Faithfulness

"Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?" (Proverbs 20:6). "And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over His household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing" (Luke 1:42,43).

A faithful man, Lord, who can find?
They seem to be in short supply,
Though most imagine in their mind
That surely they would qualify.

Who then is a faithful one,
A steward whom the Lord calls wise?
Who labors till the work is done,
And lives for God 's approving eyes?

How blest is he in such a case!
How joyful is he in the Lord,
Who daily draws upon God's grace
To find his faithfulness restored!

Latter Lament

"Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end" (Proverbs 19:20). "And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" (Luke 12:19,20).

Consider well your latter end,
And weigh the counsel you receive.
Be careful that you don't depend
On counselors that will deceive.

Go ahead and take your ease,
The counsel from your heart may say.
Eat and drink; do as you please,
And think of God some other day.

The world's counselors applaud
Your pleasure and prosperity,
And never give a thought to God,
Or planning for eternity.

The day is surely coming when
All those things shall pass away.
And nothing else shall matter then
But what Almighty God will say.

Will you then be called a fool?
Or will you hear the words, "Well done"?
No lament shall be so cruel
As knowing you refused God's Son.

Joyfully Justified

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.... Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name" (Psalm 100:1,4).

Let the people in all lands
Come with joy before the Lord.
Let each one who understands:
Come with thankfulness outpoured.

Enter through His gates with praise;
Meditate on all you see:
The tabernacle thus portrays
My Savior Who was slain for me.

But tabernacle sacrifice
Could never take my place;
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Alone could save by grace.

Be thankful therefore that He came
(His love could do no less),
To take away our guilt and shame,
And give us righteousness.

The tabernacle now is gone,
But Jesus Christ is not.
Our Savior's love goes on and on;
Oh what a happy thought!

Favor of Fathers

FATHER'S DAY

"The glory of children are their fathers" (Proverbs 17:6).

A father's greatest legacy
That he can leave behind
Is a model of integrity
That his own children find.

Since fathers are the glory
Of children that they train,
Let's leave them a true story
Of life lived not in vain.

As God our Father is to us
Our glory and our Savior,
May our children learn to trust
By watching our behavior.

Principles of Prayer

"Lord, teach us to pray.... And He said unto them, When ye pray, say Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Luke 11:1-4).

There's more to prayer than what we say;
It's how we say it too.
We must be sure that when we pray,
The words we speak are true.

All who pray "Our Father" should
Be certain of salvation.
We do not earn by being good
This wonderful relation.

God in heaven is obeyed;
So should it be on earth.
The Gospel truth is thus displayed
By those who know its worth.

Day by day He meets our need
Before the day begins:
From daily bread on which we feed,
To cleansing from our sins.

Keep these principles in mind
That Jesus taught His own.
All who do shall surely find
Rich mercies at His throne.

Rejoicing at the Remembrance

"Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness" (Psalm 97:11,12). "Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank Thee, O Father" (Luke 10:20,21).

Rejoice at the remembrance
That God has found a way
To close the fearful distance
That held our souls at bay.

Rejoice, for Christ rejoices;
How wonderful the thought!
His joy now stirs our voices
To praise Him as we ought.

Rejoice! Our names are written;
Our Savior bids us look:
The Lamb Who once was smitten,
Has sealed them in His book.

Witnesses among Wolves

"The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves" (Luke 10:2,3).

The word of Jesus Christ today
Has found me where I am:
Am I earnest when I pray?
Meek and harmless lamb?

Among the wolves of greed and strife
God calls me to be meek,
That I may witness with my life
And with the words I speak.

Yes, this is what I'm called to do,
And who it is I'm called to be:
A witness that is bold and true,
A lamb reflecting Christ in me.

Sinking Sayings

"Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart" (Psalm 95:7,8). "Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hidden from them.... Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be the greatest" (Luke 9:44-46).

Are my Savior's sayings sinking
Down into my ears and heart?
Are they hidden from my thinking,
From my deepest inward part?

What reasoning within my mind
Distracts me from my Savior's voice?
What vanity has rendered blind
My eyes to see my foolish choice?

Your words, O Lord, are good and right;
Your wisdom surely has no peers.
So let Your sayings, day and night,
Sink deeply down into my ears.

Minimizing the Multitude

"In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul" (Psalm 94:19). "This is My beloved Son: hear Him" (Luke 9:35).

The multitude of thoughts replete
That vie for my attention,
Can never with my Lord compete;
Nor are they worth the mention.

The comforts that delight my soul
Are found in Jesus Christ.
I know He paid my debt in full
When He was sacrificed.

"This is My beloved Son;
Hear Him," God will say.
Thus distractions turn and run,
And comforts come to stay.

So this is how I minimize
And filter every thought:
I fix my heart, my ears, and eyes
On Jesus as I ought.

Holiness of His Household

"Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord, forever" (Psalm 93:5).

Holy is Your reputation,
O Lord, in all Your ways,
And Your household of salvation
Your holiness displays.

Your holiness demands a price:
A ransom paid in full,
And You became our Sacrifice,
To thus redeem each soul.

Your holiness was satisfied,
Your household was secured,
O Lord, when You were crucified,
And for us You endured.

So may Your holiness be shown
In how Your house behaves.
To testify and make it known
That Jesus surely saves.

It's a Good Thing to Give Thanks

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High: to show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night.... To show that the Lord is upright: He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him" (Psalm 92:1,2,15).

Every morning there's a reason
That we ought to thank the Lord;
Everyday another season
Of His love to look toward.

Before the rising of the sun,
Before the day begins,
Let us thank Him for His Son
Who put away our sins.

Every night concludes a day
Of our Savior's faithfulness.
Let us thank Him, as we pray,
For the way He chose to bless.

Everyday we ought to bring
A heart of thanks and praise.
It is a good and righteous thing
To show His upright ways.

Responsible to Reveal

"And He [Jesus] said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.... No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light" (Luke 8:10,16).

We who have the truth today
That God's Word has revealed,
Should be like candles on display,
And not like those concealed.

For oh, the light is glorious!
It shines that all may know
The love that God has for us
Which He delights to show.

This very light exposes
Responsibility
That privilege imposes
To show this mystery.

Today the darkness dominates
And cloaks the wrong as right.
Yet God's Word still illuminates
And brings the truth to light.

In view of this, Lord, help me shine
That others thus may see,
Remembering this light of mine
Is not for only me.

Logical Love

"There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave the most. And He [Jesus] said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged" (Luke 7:41-43).

There was a certain creditor,
In a parable portrayed,
Whose debtors couldn't give him more,
Their debts could not be paid.

Fifty and five hundred pence,
Two of debtors of his owed.
But he forgave them both, and hence,
His kindness to them showed.

The question comes by logic driven:
Which one will love him most?
That one with greater debt forgiven,
And lesser cause to boast.

Which debtor are you like above,
By the grace you calculate?
How rightly we assess God's love,
By our debt that was so great!

Revere and Rejoice

"God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him.... Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance. In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted" (Psalm 89:7,15,16).

We hold You, Lord, in reverence,
As we approach Your throne.
We tremble at the evidence
That You are God alone!

We love You, Lord, and we rejoice
To hear the sound of peace.
That joyful sound is Your own voice,
That makes our joy increase.

We thank You, Lord, for righteousness
That You for us procured.
The awful price could be no less
Than Calvary endured!

We worship You with fear and joy
And thus we seek Your face.
The theme of worship we employ
Is still amazing grace!

Rationale of our Rhetoric

"And why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).

It is a valid question
The Lord is asking us:
Its obvious suggestion
Exposes whom we trust.

Why do we call Jesus Lord,
But do not what He said?
Do we think we can afford
To trust ourselves instead?

Do we think we have a plan
Superior to His?
How foolish is the mind of man!
How arrogant it is!

Lord, save us from the foolishness
That does not what You say:
With lips that outwardly confess,
But hearts that don't obey.

Blindness isn't Bliss

"Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?" (Luke 6:39).

Does it not seem somewhat odd
That those least qualified
Are chosen, rather than our God,
To lead us and to guide?

Although the lost are now content
To heed the blind man's voice,
The day approaches of lament
When they'll regret their choice.

The blind will fall into the ditch
With those that they have led.
Yet God still pleads with souls to switch,
And follow Christ instead.

What boundless treasures we may find
In Jesus Christ our Lord,
That those who willfully are blind
Have totally ignored!

Harness my Heart

"Unite my heart to fear Thy name. I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart" (Psalm 86:11,12). "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23).

Lord, You know how hard to tame
My wayward heart can often be.
Unite my heart to fear Your name
For only then shall I be free.

So let the harness of Your fear
And the bridle of Your love
Direct affections that will steer
My heart toward the things above.

So whether peace or whether strife,
Whether joy or whether pain,
Lord, let the mixture of this life,
All the more my heart constrain.

Unite my heart to give You praise!
Harness my heart to love You more!
Lord, fix my heart upon Your ways,
And my straying heart, restore!

Anticipating His Answer

"Wilt Thou not revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?.... I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints: but let them not turn again to folly.... Righteousness shall go before Him, and shall set us in the way of His steps" (Psalm 85:8,13). "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6). "He [Jesus] said unto him, Follow Me" (Luke 5:27).

Will You not revive the weak,
That they may rejoice in You?
I will hear what God will speak
And I will watch what God will do.

He speaks His peace and calms our soul;
He shows the cross on which He died,
Where mercy makes the sinner whole
And righteousness is satisfied.

What words of grace our Lord conveys
To sinners who deserve His wrath!
He sets us in His perfect ways
And guides us in His footsteps' path.

Lord, we've heard Your words of peace,
And You have answered, "Follow Me."
May our revival thus increase
In Your footsteps faithfully.

Weeping World

"Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee... who passing through the valley of Baca (weeping) make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.... the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He uphold from them that walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:5-7,11).

The lost who weep are surely right
That there is cause to weep.
One wonders how they sleep at night
Or sanity can keep!

The valley comes, it surely must,
Where death confronts them all.
The great things they pursued in lust,
Now seem so vain and small.

We're sent into this weeping world
Equipped with grace and glory.
With banners of God's love unfurled,
We tell redemption's story.

We have the fountainhead of joy
That fills the driest well!
The Gospel message we employ
Will save a soul from hell!

We go from strength to strength from God,
Like rain that fills the pools,
That overruns and sheds abroad
His love where Jesus rules.

Come before your Lord each day,
Then go to those with tears
To share through Christ the only way
Of joy for endless years.

Why Not Now?

"Ye sought for David in times past to be king over you: NOW then do it" (2 Samuel 3:17,18). "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at My reproof: behold, I will pour out My Spirit unto you" (Proverbs 1:22,23). "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me... to preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18,19). "Behold, NOW is the accepted time" (2 Corinthians 6:2).

If God is calling you to turn,
And His Spirit shows you how,
Since He bids you come and learn,
Why not therefore do it now?

If God has warned you not to wait
Why would you then still allow
Yourself to thus procrastinate?
Why not therefore do it now?

If God has given you a gift
To serve in love and thus endow
His grace to others you may lift,
Why not therefore do it now?

If God has spoken to your heart
To place your hand upon the plow,
What has hindered you to start?
Why not therefore do it now?

If God exalts our Savior's name,
And every knee shall surely bow,
Why then wait to do the same?
Why not therefore do it now?